Chapter 220. Ambush (4)
Why is the villain from the original story trying to jump me?
"It's okay. You don't have to do anything."
"Hold on. No, wait a sec. Ah, fuck, seriously…."
You could at least explain what the hell is going on.
When I finally snapped and swore, Rebecca finally looked me in the eye.
Seeing the confusion and irritation in my eyes, Rebecca gave me an apologetic look.
"Right… sorry. I was too hasty. I should've explained it to you."
"…."
I waited for Rebecca to speak again.
"Lee Hoyeon, last surviving member of the Rune Clan. I've been looking for you."
"… What?"
"You probably think the Rune Clan was wiped out in some mysterious attack, but I was on a secret mission outside at the time. I survived by luck."
"I'm telling you, I'm not from the Rune Clan."
"But your barrier… Rune Barrier is a secret technique only usable by the Rune Clan."
"That's true, but…"
"To restore the Rune Clan, I've been tracking the only two boys who escaped the night it was destroyed."
"…."
Listening to Rebecca, I learned something about her that never came up in the original.
I thought she was under Maestro's mind control like the others—but I guess not.
Turns out, she had her own reasons.
"So, you have to have a child with me."
"How the hell does that follow…?"
"Because we have to revive the Rune Clan. It must remain pureblood…!"
Sigh.
She must've been waiting for her chance ever since I got discharged.
If I'd known this backstory, I wouldn't have gone around tossing Rune Barriers everywhere.
Still, if she's explaining all this, maybe her intentions aren't entirely bad.
"By the way, were you the one who approached the Saintess at the association party bombing and mentioned the old clan?"
"That's right. You were unconscious at the time."
So that really was Rebecca.
I did think of the Rune Clan when she mentioned an old clan, but I had no idea she was searching for it.
Sigh.
Well, I'll just be honest.
"Um, Miss Rebecca. I'm really sorry, but I'm not from the Rune Clan."
Since she seems ready to treat me politely, I replied the same way.
Better to be clear about these things.
"Don't lie. You're using a Rune Barrier right now. Only someone with Rune blood can do that."
"Ugh…"
How the hell do I explain this?
[I found the Rune Clan's secret manual in the academy storage room and could use it thanks to my insane talent.]
Who would believe that?
Rune Barriers are forbidden techniques usable only by the Rune Clan, and my talent isn't something normal people possess.
It's a special trait—more than just talent.
No wonder there's been a misunderstanding.
I've thought before about what I'd do if I met someone from the Rune Clan.
But I only imagined them going, "You dare use our techniques?! Argh!" Not… this.
'Aren't I the normal one? This is the weird situation, right?'
Let's be real…
[To revive the Rune Clan, we must have children together.]
How was I supposed to see that coming?
"It's fine… I already tied you up just in case. A man can ejaculate even if he doesn't want to, right?"
"…."
She means well, but reviving the clan clearly comes first for her.
The tight restraints around my body proved it.
She's not going to listen.
'How do I get out of this?'
I calmly assessed the situation.
Rebecca wants a surviving member. I need to escape.
The best solution would be to find the actual survivor—but there's no clue.
Rebecca gently stroked my hair.
"I think black hair suits you better than red. And your face is my type…"
"… So the Rune Clan all had red hair?"
"Don't pretend you don't know. You can dye your hair."
"…."
That's another clue.
Now I've got three:
Red hair.
A boy.
And the Rune Barrier.
That's not much to go on.
You can't identify someone with just that—
'Huh?'
As I quickly ran through my memories, one kid matched the criteria.
Sunny Days Orphanage, where I volunteered with Baek A-Young.
The red-haired boy who noticed my Rune Barrier when I was secretly fucking Baek A-Young in the bathroom.
I brushed it off at the time as good mana sensitivity, but thinking about it now—that makes no sense.
The Rune Barrier isn't something you notice just from good sensitivity.
And that kid happened to have crimson red hair.
"What's wrong? Are you getting into it now? If you want to take the lead, I can allow that. We are fellow Rune Clan members…"
"I'll say it again—I'm not the Rune Clan survivor. But I think I know who is."
"I said you are."
"No, I'm not. Ugh, just untie me already."
"Should I?"
"Just come meet someone with me first. You can still do whatever later. …You can catch me anyway."
"Hmm, that's true. Okay, let's go for now."
Rebecca hesitated, then released the mana binding me.
"…."
'I hope I'm right about this.'
It's not a sure thing—but it probably is.
"...."
I walked toward Sunny Days Orphanage, cautiously.
Rebecca didn't seem worried about me escaping.
She was sure she could catch me if I tried.
'No openings.'
Rebecca looked relaxed, but she left no gaps.
The mana surrounding me would tighten into ropes the moment I ran.
"Sigh."
"What's the sigh for, Hoyeon?"
"... Nothing."
It felt weird how friendly she was acting.
This is seriously crazy.
To be fair, Rebecca is pretty hot. She's a recurring villain in the original story.
Villainess executives are supposed to be hot.
Like Im Sol, she's a research-obsessed mage—but if Im Sol is wholesome, Rebecca is more of the decadent type.
Hair like molten ruby, eyes that gleam like gems.
Honestly, she's got a witchy vibe.
"Is it far?"
"We're almost there."
She's hot enough to worship, if I'm being honest.
I've never met a girl like her before. She's stunning.
But…
'There are too many girls.'
It's already hard managing the heroines—how can I seduce a villain, too?
But as if to mock me, something appeared in front of my eyes.
[Currently High Capture Potential: Im Sol (95), Rebecca (85), Liliana (83), Scarlett (43) … ]
"...."
Yeah.
Rebecca's not a minor villain. Of course she has impact.
She was a full-on antagonist in the original, so I never thought of her as a heroine.
Tsk.
Now I kind of regret it.
'Maybe I should've just pretended to be from the Rune Clan?'
No.
That could've backfired.
Even if seducing her is easier short-term, it'll all fall apart when the truth comes out.
Better to be honest now and seduce her later.
Assuming I even want to seduce her.
"We could just have a kid together."
"... You said there were two boys, right?"
"Yeah, you and a younger one."
"How young?"
"Elementary school age, probably."
Elementary school, huh.
Someone my age wouldn't qualify—but that orphanage kid would.
More and more, I'm sure I'm right.
"That's Sunny Days Orphanage?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
Soon, we arrived at the orphanage.
"Hmm…."
Rebecca followed me in.
Of course, we were shielded by her Rune Barrier, so normal people couldn't see her.
Her version of the barrier was sturdier and more stable than mine, even though it was the same magic.
'Feels like an entirely different mana structure.'
Nothing else explains it.
Even if I recreate her exact spell circle, the output is different.
[Rune Clan Synergy]
Yeah, that's a good way to describe it.
In the yard, we spotted a burly man watering the flowers.
The orphanage director.
I approached him.
"Hello, Director."
"Huh? Oh, Cadet Hoyeon! Wow, I thought you wouldn't come now that you're famous."
"Come on, I'm not here for image management. Fame doesn't change anything. I just got discharged yesterday, figured I'd visit."
Actually, it has been about a month.
I only came to seduce Baek A-Young back then, so there's no real reason to now.
Still, I should bring A-Young here again sometime.
"Ah, right. I saw the news. Forgot about that."
The director chuckled, and I continued.
"It's all good. By the way, I wanted to see the kids. What are they up to now?"
"It's free time after lunch. They're probably doing whatever they want. If they hear you're here, they'll come running."
"Hmm, there's one kid I wanted to see. There's a red-haired boy here, right?"
Rebecca, who'd been bored beside me, perked up at the mention of a red-haired boy.
"Red hair...? Ah, you mean Suhyun?"
"Yeah, that mischievous little guy."
"He's over there. Want to come with me?"
"Please. I want to talk to him privately."
Soon, I was alone with the boy named Chun Suhyun.
Since I'm famous and used to volunteer, the director didn't mind.
"Hyung. It's been a while. What did you want to talk about?"
"Just a few questions. You just need to answer. Okay?"
"Yup. Of course!"
The red-haired boy, Chun Suhyun, smiled innocently.
He's probably about eight.
That age where kids are especially cute.
- Is it him?
I nodded.
Rebecca, watching from behind, saw me nod.
Ssshhh—
I felt her mana behind me.
A soft wave of mana passed through me and scanned Chun Suhyun from head to toe.
- …Can I talk to him?
"Sure, it's okay. Suhyun, don't be surprised. There's a noona who really wanted to meet you. That okay?"
"Yes. It's fine."
Creak—
The door opened, and Rebecca entered.
She used Rune Barrier to hide herself, but how did she even do that?
"Hi. Are you Chun Suhyun?"
"Hello, noona."
Chun Suhyun bowed politely, and Rebecca looked conflicted.
"… Can I see your hand for a second?"
"Okay."
Rebecca took his wrist and sent mana through it. Then she spoke.
"… It's him."
"It is?!"
"Yeah. He's definitely from the Rune Clan. Comparing your mana circuits made it clear—you and he are totally different."
"Oh… So now you believe me?"
"… Yeah. I believe you."
She looked disappointed, but I was just relieved the misunderstanding was cleared.
It's best to resolve these things quickly.
Thank God.
Looks like I won't be getting kidnapped and forcibly bred.
"Hey, kid… Do you remember anything before you came to this orphanage?"
Rebecca asked about his past.
"Hmm… I'm not sure. I don't remember much from when I was little."
"… Sigh."
Maybe she's disappointed she couldn't recover any memories.
Rebecca sighed deeply.
"Thanks, Suhyun. You can go play with your friends now. Oh, and here—these snacks are from me. Share them, okay?"
"Thank you! Hyung! See you later!"
I handed Suhyun the snacks and sent him out.
As he dashed off, I turned to Rebecca.
"Let's ask the director. He might know something."
"… Okay."